Feeder for powdered fuel



l 1. u. MCDONALD.

FEEDER FOR POWDERED FUEL.

APPLICATlON FILED OCT. 11| 1919.

1,886,009, Patented Aug. 2, 1921.

3 SHEE'Is-SHEET l.

3f' 1 l Mw .WWE QNAA @M dum U. MCDONALDT FEEDER FOB POWDERED FUEL.

APPLICATION FILED ocr. II. I9I9.

1,386,009. Patented Allg. 2, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEEI 2.

A o II II mm 0MM J. U. McDONALD.

FEEDER FOR POWDERED FUEL.

APPLICATION FILED ocT. II, I9I9.

1,386,009. 'Patented Aug. 2, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

in il' E Il 3i i Somnmmbm @w dw/0L PATENT OFFICE.v

JOHN URBAN MCDONALD, 0F DECATUR, ILLINOIS.

FEEDER FOR POWDERED FUEL.

Specification 4of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 2, 1921.

Application filed October 11, 1919. Serial No. 330,090.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN URBAN MoDoN- ALD, a. citizen of the United States, and residin at Decatur, in the county of Macon and tate of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Feeder for Powdered Fuel7 of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for intimately mixing powdered fuel with a ourrent of air passing from a blower to the place where the fuel is to be burned, and its object is to provide means for accurately controlling the fuel feed.

This invention consists in combination with a hopper and a pipe connecting to the bottom thereof, of a vertically movable valve-tube in this hopper, of means for moving. the valve up and down according to the feed desired, of a blower which actuates the current of air for carrying the owdered fuel, and an air motor for turning t e valvetube to prevent the powdered fuel from arching within the hopper. It also consists in connecting the intake opening of the blower to this motor so that the blower will cause the operation of the motor. It further consists 1n the details illustrated in the accompanying drawings and particularly pointed out 1n the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of this improved fuel storage and feeding apparatus. Fig. 2 is a plan of the air-motor for turning the valve-tube. Fig. 3 is a detail of the mechanism for supporting the valve-tube. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional detail of the mounting for the upper end of the valve-tube. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional detail of the air moto-r. Fig. 6 is an elevation of a modified embodiment of this invention.

Similar reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

The fuel which is used in connection with this improved feeding mechanism is preferably inely powdered coal but ground wood may be used with similar effect. It is blown into a furnace through the pipe 1 being carried along by a current of air from the blower 2, driven in any desired manner. Connecting into the pipe 1 is a pipe 3 which constitutes the discharge pipe of the conical hopper 4 which has a cylindrical upper extension 5 su ported by the posts 6 and, brackets 7. races 8 and 9 may be between the posts. The hopper is formed with a cover l0 and may have a char in s o 11 closed b y a cover 12. g g p ut Wlthln the hopper is vertically movable and rotatable the valve-tube 14, formed with an enlargement 15 at its lower end if desired. On this tube may be secured the arms 16 whereby the contents of the hopper may be agitated. As indicated in Fig. 4, this tube 1s gulded in a bearing 17 on the hopper cover 1Q and the tube is provided with a key 19 slidable in a slot 20 in the hub 18. of the gear 2l. Balls 22 may support this gear on the bearing 17.

A collar 23 may be secured to the tube 14 and the height of the tube may be ad- ]usted relative to the valve Seat 24 at the lower end of this tube by screw-threadin this collar and the upper end of the hub 18 of the gear. The collar may be prevented from turning by the spring pressed fin er 26 pivotally .mounted on the collar which may engage in vertical lutings' in the hub 18. When this collar is employed to adjust the valve-tube, the discharge of fuel will be fairly constant, depending upon the rotation of the valve-tube to keep the fuel from arching.

In Figs. 1 and 6 are shown a two-part shell 28 having a diaphragm 29 normally held down by means of a spring 30. A rod 31 connects to a lever 32, pivoted at 34 on the arm 35 and connecting at its outer end to a rod 36 that carries a stirrup 37 at its outer end.. A ring or collar 38 at the lower end of this stirrup carries thev balls 39 on which rests the lflange 40 secured to the upper end of the tube 14. A cap 42 is preferabl placed over this bearing.

o long as pressure in the pipe 43 is below normal, the diaphragm will be held down by the spring 30 but when the desired pressure 1s reached the rod 31 will be forced up, the

.rod 36 and the tube 14 will descend and the discharge of the hopper will be reduced.

Supported by the posts 44 on the cover of the hopper is a shell 45 of an air motor having a rotor composed of the top 46, bottom 47, vanes 48, spool 49 and shaft 50. Spiders 51 and 52 at the top and bottom of the shell 45 support bearin s 53 and 54 respectively for the motor sha and a pinion 55 on the lower end of this shaft meshes with and drives the gear 21.

4The air pipe 57 extends down to the blower 2 from a convenient heater (not shown) and to it connects the branch pipe 58 leading to the air motor.` A third pipe 59 connects to the air motor and to the air pipe 57. When the blo-wer is operating a1r will flow down these pipes 57 and 59, depending on the position of the valve 60 on the shaft 61 which is controlled by the arm 62 and the link 63. Any desired means may be employed to position this valve 60 but I prefer a governor connected to the motor shaft so that the speed of the motor and of the valve-tube shall be constant.

The governor shown in Fig. 5 is of well known construction, being composed of a sleeve 65 secured to the motor shaft and fiat springs 66 extending therefrom to the upper end of a sleeve 67 slidable on theshaft and normally held up by the compresslon spr1ng 68. Weights 69 on these springs fly out when the governor is turned and pull down the sleeve 67 and the ring 70 and the plug 71 at its upper end and with them the adjacent end of the lever 72 which connects to this ring 70. The lever is pivoted at 73 on the post 74 and connects at its outer end to the link 63. As the speed of the motor increases the weights 69 move out, causing the link 63 to be pulled up and the valve 60 to reduce the flow of air through the pipe 58 leading to this motor.

It will therefore be seen that when the blower is operated, the suction thereof will drive the motor and cause the valve-tube 14 to be turned to agitate the fuel and cause it to discharge from the hopper, the small baille 75 preventing the blast from the blower turning up into the hopper. The rate of feed of the fuel is independent of the blower but depends upon the speed of the air-motor and may also depend upon the pressure of steam in the pipe 43.

The structure shown in Fig. 6 differs from that just described in that the blower connects to the bottom of the hopper 81 and that all the air passing to the blower is drawn through the valve-tube 82, excepting that minor amount which passes through the hopper down around the lower end of the valve-tube into the dischar e pipe 83 of the ho per 81 together with t e powdered fuel. he vertical movement ofthe valvetube may be controlled, the tube may be turned and the passage of air through the pipes 84 and 85 to the valve-tube will actu ate the motor in the same manner as in the mechanism shown in Fig. 1. The amount of air passing to the motor may be controlled by a valve (not shown) on the shaft 86, similar to the valve 60 in Fig. 1, through the action of a governor as previously described. The upper end of the valve-tube 82 may slide in a fitting 87 on the pipe 85. In this case, the fuel is conveyed to a furnace or other place of consumption (not shown) through the pipe 88 by the current Vof air drawn by the blower 80 through the pipe 84, motor 45, valve tube 82, and discharge pipe 83.

any changes in the details and proportions of the various parts of this fuel feeder may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention as set forth in the following claims. Thus the vertical tube 14 may be driven by any other mechanical means and be raised and lowered by other than fluid pressure.

1. In a feeder for powdered fuel, the com bination of a conical hopper, a vertically movable and rotatable valve tube in said hopper, means controlled by fluid pressure to move the valve tube vertically, a discharge pipe at the lower end of the hopper to receive the powdered fuel, the flow of the fuel being controlled by the valve tube, a blower to actuate a current of air to carry the fuel from said discharge pipe, and an air motor and gearing connecting the motor to the valve tube whereby the latter may be turned.

2. Ina feeder for powdered fuel, the combination of a conical hopper, a vertically movable and rotatable valve tube in said hopper, means controlled by fluid pressure to move the valve tube vertically, a dlscharge pipe at the lower end of the hopper to receive the powdered fuel, the iiow of the fuel being controlled by the valve tube, a blower to actuate a current of air to carry the fuel from said discharge pipe, an air motor, gearing connecting the motor to the valve tube whereby the latter may be turned, a governor connected to said motor, and means operated by the governor for controlling the rate of flow of air to said motor.

3. In a feeder for powdered fuel, the combination of a hopper, a rotatable valve tube in said hopper, a discharge pipe at the lower end of the hopper to receive the powdered fuel, the flow of the fuel being controlled by the height of the valve tube, means for moving the valve tube up and down, a blower to actuate a current of air to carry the fuel from said discharge pipe, a motor operated by the air carrying the fuel, and gearing connecting the motor to the valve tube whereby the latter may be turned.

4. In a feeder for powdered fuel, the combination of a hopper, a vertically movable valve tube in said hopper, means controlled by fluid pressure to move the valve tube vertically, a discharge pipe at the the lower end of the hopper to receive the powdered fuel, the flow of the fuel being controlled by the height of the valve tube, and a blower to actuate a current of air to carry the fuel from said discharge pipe.

5. In a feeder for powdered fuel, the combination of a hopper, a rotatable valve in said hopper, a discharge pipe at the lower end of the hopper to receive the powdered fuel, a blower to actuate a current of air to carry the fuel from said discharge pipe, a motor operated by the air flowing through said blower, and gearing connecting the motor to the valve tube whereby the latter may be turned to prevent the clogging of the dischar e through the arching of the fuel.

6. n a feeder for powdered fuel, the combination of a hopper, a rotatable valve in said hopper,`a discharge pipe at the lower end of the hopper to receive the powdered fuel, a blower to actuate a current of air to carry the fuel from said discharge pipe, a motor operated by the air flowing throughsaid blower, gearing connecting the motor to the valve tube whereby the latter may be turned to prevent the clogging of the discharge through the arching of the fuel, a governor connected to said motor, and means operated by the governor for controlling the rate of flow of air to said motor.

7. In a feeder for powdered fuel, the combination of a hop r, a rotatable valve tube in said hopper, a ischarge pipe at the lower end of the hopper to receive the powdered fuel, a blower connected to said discharge pipe which constitutes the suction pipe of said blower, the current of air actuated by said blower being adapted to carry the fuel from the hop er, a motor operated by the air flowing tirough said valve tube, and gearing connecting the motor to the valve tube whereby the tube may be turned by the motor.

8. In a feeder for powdered fuel, the combination of a hopper, a rotatable Valve tube in said hopper, a discharge pipe at the lower end of the hopper to receive the powdered fuel, a blower connected to said discharge pipe which constitutes the suction pi e of said blower, the current of air actuate by said blower being adapted to carry the fuel from the hopper` a motor operated by the air flowing through said valve tube, gearing connectin the motor to the valve tube whereby t e tube may be turned by the Inotor, a governor connected to said motor, and means operated b the governor for controlling the flow of air to said motor.

JOHN URBAN MODONALD. 

